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Prince George’s Superintendent May Move To Philly

376669 02: First-grader Khatona Miller, right, investigates a circled location on a world globe with other classmates August 22, 2000 at Chicago's Stewart Elementary School. Young Khatona Miller is one of over 430,000 children heading back to the classrooms Aug. 22 in the Chicago Public School system. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Newsmakers)

Credit: Tim Boyle/Newsmakers

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) — Prince George’s County schools Superintendent William Hite Jr. says he wasn’t looking for other jobs but couldn’t pass up the chance to consider a move to Philadelphia.

School officials announced Friday that Hite is a finalist to be superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. If hired, he would replace former superintendent Arlene Ackerman. She is a former D.C. Public Schools chief and resigned in Philadelphia after three turbulent years.

Hite says he has been approached about other jobs but turned them down. He says he and his wife had to consider Philadelphia.

Prince George’s hired Hite in April 2009 to lead Maryland’s second-largest school system. Since then, test scores have been rising. Hite’s four-year contract ends next June. He had been deputy superintendent under former schools chief John Deasy.